US recommended protein consumption is 70% more than protein recommended
Actual Daily Protein Intake: (from USDA) Men (ages 19+): 102 grams Women (ages 19+): 70 grams
Recommended Daily Protein Intake: (from National Center for Health Statistics) Men (ages 19+): 56 grams Women (ages 19+): 46 grams
Calculated by FL Lappe: Women recommended 46 grams vs actually eat 70 grams: 52% more than recommended ((70-46) /46 = 0.522) (70 - 46 = 24) (24/46 = 52%) Men recommended 56 grams vs actually eat 102: 82% more than recommended ((102-56)/56 = 0.821) (102 -56 = 46 ) 46/56 = 82% Together, almost 70% more than recommended on average (actual average is 68.6% more: (102+70) - (56+46) = 70/102 = 0.686
Direct Quote: "However, according to the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), both men and women ages 20 and over were taking in much more than the recommended amount of protein. The recommended daily amount of protein is 46 grams for women and 56 grams for men. The NHANES results showed that men were taking in 101.9 grams and women were taking in 70.1 grams." (From National Center for Health Statistics: http://nchstats.com/2010/03/03/adults’-daily-protein-intake-much-more-...)
Facts from the CDC: (not a direct quote) Consider grams of protein in these foods (not factchecked at the CDC source given: One cup of milk (8 grams), a 3-ounce piece of meat (21 grams), 1 cup of dry beans (16 grams) [but this would be at least 2 cups of beans so not a very helpful] and an 8-ounce container of yogurt (11 grams) provide 56 grams of protein, according to the CDC. [therefore: 8 oz of meat = 56 grams of protein equals the full day’s recommended allowance.]
US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, "Nutrient Intakes from Food: Mean Amounts and Percentages of and Alcohol, One Day, 2005-2006," 2008, accessed June 10, 2014, www.ars.usda.gov/ba/bhnrc/fsrg. "Adults’ Daily Protein Intake Much More Than Recommended," National Center for Health Statistics, last modified March 3, 2010, accessed June 10, 2014, http://nchstats.com/2010/03/03/adults’-daily-protein-intake-much-more-.... "Protein," Center for Disease Control and Prevention, last modified October 4, 2012, accessed June 10, 2014, http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html.